Wire drawing block



Nov. 21, 1950 w. MORGAN WIRE DRAWING BLOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 14, 1947 Fig.4

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 21, 1950 WIRE DRAWING BLOCK Weld Morgan, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 14, 1947, Serial No. 747,953

2 Claims. (Cl. 205-20) This invention relates to wire drawing blocks, and more particularly to the construction and arrangement of air cooled blocks of the double deck type.

It is a common practice in the wire drawing art to mount one block or drum on the top of another block or drum, both blocks being rotatable as a unit about a common vertical axis. The lower block is used to draw a strand of wire through one die, and the upper block is used to draw the same strand through a second die. The wire accumulates in the form of a bundle on the upper block, which is usually provided with upright pins to support the bundle. Because of the elongation of the wire as it travels through the second die, the speed of the wire is increased, and it is accordingly necessary that the upper block have a greater diameter than the lower block to avoid excessive slippage of the wire on the latter.

A wire drawing block usua ly comprises a substantially cylindrical capstan around which the wire is wrapped, and an outwardly extending flange at the bottom of the capstan to force the on-coming wire convolutions upwardly. Considerable heat is imparted to the wire by the drawing operation. In the case of single blocks, as well as the lower blocks in double deck constructions, it is a known practice to provide Openings in the flange through which jets of cooling air may be directed upwardly on to the convolutions of wire from an air chamber beneath the block. Heretofore no means has b en known whereby such air jets could be applied to the wire on the upper blocks of double deck arrangements, and it has therefore been a diflicult problem to cool the wire adequately.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide a comparatively simple construction for wire drawing blocks of the do ble d ck tyne. such that jets of air may be employed to cool the convolutions of wire on the capstan of the upper bcck.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a pair of wire drawing blocks in a double deck arrangement such that both blocks will be adequately cooled and jets of air will be discharged to cool the convolutions of wire on the capstans of both blocks.

It is a further object to provide a top wire drawing block for use in a double deck arrangement and having simple and effective means for directing jets of air upwardly adjacent to the capstan of the block to cool the convolutions of wire thereon.

with these and other objects in view, as will 2 be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a double deck wire drawing block construction, the section being taken substantially on the line l-i of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the construction;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a double deck wire drawing block construction which is mounted above a circular opening l0 (Fig. 1) in the top plate ll of the hollow frame of a wire drawing machine, and this frame is supplied with air under pressure from any suitable source, as disclosed in the prior patent to Morgan et al. No. 2,185,416. A vertical rotatable spindle l2 extends upwardly through the center of the opening l0. and to this spindle there is keyed a bushing It with its cylindrical outer surface interrupted by two diametrically opposite vertical grooves iii.

The bushing It serves to support a lower block I! and an upper block is in a double deck arrangement. The lower b ock I! comprises a central hub 20 which is mounted on the bushing l4 and has lugs 2i on its inner surface to engage the grooves l5 of the bushing. This hub is surrounded by a substantially cylindrical annular capstan 22 which is connected to the hub bv radial s okes 23. A multiplicity of thin pright ribs 25 extend inwardly from the capstan 22 to transfer heat to the air stream which flows upwardly through the block. A flange 26 extends outwardly from the lower edge of the capstan, and this flange is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced openings 21 arranged to direct streams of air upwardly adjacent the capstan and thereby. cool the wire which is wrapped about the capstan. The upper block I8 comprises a central hub 29 which is mounted on the bushing l4 directly above the hub 20 and has lugs 30 on its inner surface to engage the grooves l5 of the bushing. This hub 20 is surrounded by a substantially cylindrical annular capstan 3| which is connected to the hub by radial spokes 32. A multiplicity of thin upright ribs 34 extend inwardly from the capstan to transfer heat to the air stream which flows upwardly through the block. A flange integral with the capstan 3| extends outwardly from the lower edge or bottom thereof.

The capstan 3! of the upper block is somewhat larger in diameter than the capstan 22 of the lower block in order to compensate for the elongation of the wire. A flange 36 (Fig. 1) integral with the upper capstan 3! extends inwardly and downwardly from the lower edge thereof into engagement with the upper edge of the lower capstan 22, so that the two capstans are connected for the upward flow of air therethrough. The upper block includes walls 37 integral with the capstan 3i and forming circumferentially spaced passages 38 leading outwardly through the flange 36 and beneath the capstan 3| to openings 40 in the flange 35. These openings 40 are spaced apart circumferentially and arranged to direct streams of air upwardly adjacent the outer surface of the capstan 3| to cool the wire thereon. The upper block i8 is the finishing block, and it is accordingly provided with the usual upright pins 42 which serve to support the bundle of finished wire above the capstan 3|. The lower portions of these pins are mounted in holes formed in bosses 43 (Fig. 3), the bosses being located within the capstan and adiacent to the spokes 32.

The air which flows upwardly through the interior of the upper block is discharged upwardly and outwardly into contact with the bundle of finished wire surrounding the pins 52. For this purpose a cap 45 of generally circular form is fa tened to the upper end of the spindle l2 by a screw 45, the peripheral portion 47 (Fig. 1) of the cap being inclined upwardly and outwardly. At the top of the capstan 3! there is provided an upwardly and inwardly inclined flange 49 with its inner edge spaced from the inclined portion 41 of the cap to leave a slot 50 through which the air may escape in the desired direction. The cap 45 engages the upper block and holds both blocks in place on the bushing 14.

The upper block I8 is constructed for the reception of the usual collapsible stripper whereby bundles of finished wire may be readily removed from the block. To receive the stripper arms, each spoke 32 is provided with a vertical groove 52 which opens outwardly, the lower portion of each groove extending outwardly along the upper surface of the flange 35 between two of the air openings 40. The cap 45 is provided with grooves 54 which are aligned with the grooves 52 therebeneath and are shaped to guide the stripper arms in known manner into the grooves 52. This con truction is similar to that shown in the patent to Morgan et al. No. 2,247,248, to which reference may be had for a more complete description.

The operation of the invention will now be a parent from the above disclosure. The two blocks H and i8 will be rotated at a suitable speed by the spindle I2. Wire will be drawn through a die (not shown) by the lower capstan 22, around which several wraps of the wire will pass. The wire will leave this capstan and after traveling in known manner around an idler sheave and through a second die it will reach the upper capstan 3i around which it will travel in a series of upwardly moving convolutions to form an annular bundle surrounding the pins 42. Air under pressure will flow upwardly through the interior of the blocks to cool the capstans and then be discharged through the slot 50 into contact with the wire bundle. Air will flow upwardly through the openings 27 to cool the wire on the lower capstan 22. Air will also flow outwardly through the passages 38 and thence be discharged upwardly through the openings 40 to cool the wire on the upper capstan 3|. The invention thus provides a relatively simple double deck construction'for wire drawing blocks, in which air jets may be employed not only for cooling the wire on the lower capstan but also for cooling the wire on the upper capstan as well. It will be understood that the air jets discharged'from the openings 27 and 40 entrain large masses of the surrounding air, causing this air to flow upwardly in close contact with the convolutions of wire to absorb heat directly therefrom, thus greatly increasing the cooling effect.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat" ent is:

l. A wire drawing block construction of the double deck type comprising a pair of superimposed coaxial blocks each including a substantially cylindrical annular capstan through which air under pressure may flow upwardly, the upper capstan being larger in diameter than the lower capstan. a flange integral with the upper capstan and extending outwardly from the bottom thereof, the said flange having circumferentially spaced openings therethrough in position to di rect jets of air upwardly adjacent the outer sur face of the upper capstan, a second flange integral with the upper capstan and extending in wardly and downwardly from the bottom thereof into engagement with the top of the lower capstan, and walls integral with the upper capstan and providing circumferentially spaced generally radial passages arranged to lead air outwardly through the said second flange and beneath the upper capstan to the said openings.

2. A wire drawing block for use as the upper block in a double deck construction, the said block comprising a substantially cylindrical annular capstan through which air under pressure may flow upwardly, a flange integral with the capstan and extending outwardly from the bottom thereof, the said flange having circumferentially spaced openings therethrough in position to direct jets of air upwardly adjacent the outer surface of the capstan, a second flange integral with the capstan and extending inwardly and downwardly from the bottom thereof, and walls integral with the capstan and providing circumferentially spaced generally radial passages arranged to lead air outwardly through the said second flange and beneath the capstan to the said openings.

WELD MORGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,049,053 Evans July 28, 1936 2,124,967 Woodward July 26, 1938 2,185,416 Morgan Jan. 2, 1940 2,219,094 Morgan Oct. 22, 1940 2,247,248 Morgan Jan. 24, 1941 2,291,977 Morgan Aug. 4, 1942 2,346,447 Morgan Apr. 11, 1944 

